Articles Search

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, Feb. 3, 2010) – Thousands of people in the Pacific may be able to do their banking by mobile phone by the end of this year.

The Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme has just been in Samoa to inform people about the benefits of mobile phone banking.

[PIR editor’s note: The Financial Inclusion Programme is a service of the United Nations Development Program ; whose Pacific Center is dedicated to improving the flow of information into developing Pacific nations. The goal of the Financial Inclusion Program is to bring financial services to Pacific islanders, 80 percent of which are currently without access to banks. ]

An advisor to the programme, Till Bruett, says these include giving rural...

By Mohammad Bashir PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, Feb. 3, 2010) - Work at the Papua New Guinea Liquefied Natural Gas (PNG LNG) plant site was stopped [yesterday] while Inter Oil and Curtain Brothers workmen were kept out by a road block set up by angry Porebada villagers.

Armed with sticks, stones, guns and placards, the villagers brought construction of the new highway, operations at the LNG plant site and the Napa Napa Oil refinery to a halt. Their message was very clear and the placards said them all. They want to have Sir Moi Avei arrested before they cool down and talk about other things.

[PIR editor’s note: A fight allegedly over ownership of land where the PNG Liquefied Natural Gas facility is proposed to be built began the conflict between the Porebada and...

By Bola Noho PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, Feb. 3, 2010) – In Papua New Guinea (PNG), the Department of Education needs 16 billion kina [US$6 billion] that was approved in the cabinet meeting in the Enga Province last year to successfully implement the universal basic education (UBE) plan in the next nine years.

The plan was launched last year by the Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare where the plan covers elementary prep to grade eight which will be implemented from 2010 to 2019.

The Minister for Education, James Marape said on Monday night during the National Broadcasting Corporation’s (NBC) government talkback show that his department needed this amount of money to successfully implement the UBE plan.

He said before the plan was launched, the Somare-Temu Government had set up a task force in 2007 led by the Director for National Research Institute (NRI), Dr. Thomas Webster to...

By Tiffany Sukola HAGÃ TÃA, Guam (Marianas Variety, Feb. 4, 2010) – Guam is one of the locations where the U.S. Army wants to station and operate 12 Joint High Speed Vessels.

Military officials are asking government agencies as well as island residents to provide feedback before drafting a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement for the stationing of the vessels.

A joint project between the Army and Navy, the vessels are small, high-speed ships that can carry troops, vehicles and supplies among the world’s waterways. Each vessel can carry about 600 short tons and travel at an average speed of 35 knots [40 miles per hour).

The Army is considering stationing at least 12 of these vessels at various ports including Virginia, San Diego, Seattle-Tacoma, Pearl Harbor and Guam. Additional ports around the world are also being considered to hold the high-speed crafts.

Statistics director Tony Lamorena, however, clarified that Bamba’s relatives were employed through the regular hiring process facilitated by the census bureau.

"All of them applied at job fairs in GPO, Dededo and Agana Shopping Center. They took the standardized census test. They were interviewed by a panel," Lamorena said in a phone interview with Variety.

"Every applicant had to meet the qualifications before the interview. Their applications were reviewed and they were recommended for employment," said the director of the Bureau of Statistics and Plans, the lead agency that oversees the federally...

PAPEÉTE, Tahiti (Tahitipresse, Feb. 2, 2010) - French Overseas minister Marie-Luce Penchard made several official visits in Tahiti Tuesday. She stressed how important an electoral reform is necessary to bring back political stability in French Polynesia, during a meeting the day before.

Penchard first went to a new park in the heart of Papeete called "Les Jardins de Paofai" (Paofai Gardens) Tuesday morning.

She was also to see social housing in Tahiti's east coast commune of Pirae in the afternoon.

After a meeting with the major Tahitian political parties Monday, she claimed an electoral reform aimed to bring back political stability should be voted by the French Parliament at the end of 2010.

Penchard also clearly stated that she turned down Tong Sang's project to have the French Polynesian President directly elected by French Polynesian voters.

By Fabian Hakalits PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, Feb. 3, 2010) - SOME members of the so-called Meekamui faction met this week with the revived New Bougainville Party Executives, to be lead by John Momis and discussed how Bougainville can progress by sustaining good governance and lasting peace for the people.

[PIR editor’s note: The Meekamui faction is a remnant of a band of insurgents formed by the late Francis Ona who led an uprising against the Government of Papua New Guinea over the operation of the Panguna mine by Bougainville Copper, a subsidiary of Rio Tinto Group. He proclaimed himself "King of Meekamui" in May 2005. The group several years ago welcomed notorious scam artist Noah Musingku into its fold.]

The party and the delegation agreed they had a long way to go to bring about lasting peace and meaningful development to the people of Bougainville.

By Ferdie de la Torre SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune, Feb. 4, 2010) - A Chinese man successfully reached Guam from Rota, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) using an inflatable boat and an outboard engine in July 2009, according to a special agent of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Special agent Isra D. Harahap stated in his report it is believed that the success of this Chinese national's entry into Guam is known within the Chinese community on Saipan.

Harahap prepared the report in connection with the arrest by federal authorities on Saturday of five Chinese nationals who allegedly attempted to unlawfully enter Guam by boarding two inflatable boats at the West Harbor docks on Rota.

The ICE special agent said that in July 2009 a Chinese man on Saipan purchased an inflatable boat and an outboard engine from China.

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.